A Place To Belong
by Redclia
Summary: FINISHED!! A sixteen-year-old finds herself a stranger to the world when she discovers that she is a mutant. Thrown out of her house, she is taken in by an aunt and begins school at Bayville High. (In this story, Angel and Psylocke have joined the X-men)
1. The Discovery

Disclaimer: I am not associated with _X-men: Evolution_ in any professionally.  None of the characters, except for some of the students at Bayville High and Aurora Briase, belong to me.

Author's Note: I am not an avid watcher of the show, so I don't really know what's happened since the first episode of the new season.

Prolouge:

Since the arrival of students like Bobby Drake, Sam Guthrie, Jubilation Lee and Rahne Sinclair, two other mutants have arrived at the Institute.  Warren Worthington III was the first, a young man of eighteen, bringing with him feathery wings.  The second was Elisabeth Braddock, another eighteen-year-old who had already faced great trauma in her life when her mind was switched with that of a dangerous Asian assassin.  The exotic young telepath had brought her powerful fighting skills and psychic knife to aid the X-men.

Let the story begin…

            She had known it would happen.  Ever since they had come, she knew that one day, he would find out.  And he did.  Her father had discovered her secret.

            "No daughter of mine will be a mutant!" he roared. "Get out of this house!"  And his strong arms, arms that used to playfully toss her up and down as a child, grabbed her and dragged her to her feet.  He used to be nice.  He had always been nice, until he discovered her secret.  She had harbored the hope that he would still be there for her when he found out. Obviously not, she thought bitterly.  

            He had pulled the long coat from her shoulders, revealing her secret.  She was blinded by tears, trying to stop the sobs of fear that broke free from her throat.  Incoherently pleading with her father as he ranted at her, she had felt nothing until the snap of breaking bone, and the burning pain that followed.  Then her father gathered her up, thrust her coat at her and told her to leave, allowing her to pack what she could into a duffel bag.

            She ran to her room, grabbing clothes and ramming them into the bag.  She stuffed her wallet into her pocket and arranged the coat so that her secret was hidden beneath the fabric.  She paused at the mirror.  Looking at herself, she saw a sixteen-year-old girl with black hair and dark eyes now blood-shot and watery from crying.  Hearing her father start to yell again, she stifled a sob and turned back to her bag.  She glanced at the long box in the corner of the room, grabbed it and forced it into the bag.  She dragged an old army blanket from the closet and added it to her bag.  Finally, she squeezed a stuffed animal, a timber wolf named Kodiak, into the little space left.

            Her father appeared in the doorway and she cringed, waiting for the shouts to begin anew.  But he merely stood there, his hands gripping the doorframe with white-knuckled force.

            "Aurora, I'm sorry.  But you understand, don't you?" he said.  No, father, she thought, I don't understand.  She knew he would pretend that she understood, pretend that she knew it was for the best.  That was her father's one flaw.  He pretended.  When her mother died, he had pretended that it was an accident.  That he hadn't been drinking the night of the crash.  When he had just a little to drink, he said, and the car careened out of control and ran into a tree and killed a little six-year-old girl's mother.  And the police had believed him.  They hadn't even checked him for alcohol.  Stupid police, Aurora thought savagely.

            Her father moved out of the doorway to let her pass, then followed her down the hallway, trying to explain to her why she had to go.

            "It's just that…the family, they would never understand why I kept you.  I would be a disgrace." her father went on, fumbling for excuses to justify throwing his daughter out into the streets.

            She stopped at the front door and turned to him. "Good-bye father." Aurora said shortly.  He looked at her, a mixture of anger, disgust and fatherly concern in his eyes.  Then he dug into his wallet and dug out fifty dollars. 

            "Here.  I know it won't last long, but its all I can give you." 

            There it was again.  He was pretending to be poorer than he was.  He could have given her another house if he wanted to.  But he couldn't stand the thought of giving too much money to a mutant, even if she was his daughter.

            And then Aurora stood outside of her childhood home, in the darkening night.  Her father spared her one last glance before slamming the door shut.  The sound echoed in the still air, but more so in Aurora's mind, where it overrode the pain she was feeling.  She turned away from her house and started down the street to nowhere.


	2. Fitting In

2 Weeks Later

            Aurora had traveled through the East Coast, looking for relatives that would take her in.  She had finally found an aunt, her mother's younger sister, who was willing to give her a home.

            In Susanne Starling, Aurora had found hope for acceptance, as well as the mother she barely remembered.  Aurora had arrived during the summer, giving Susanne a few weeks to enroll her in the school systems and outfit a small room for her.

              Susanne had accepted the fact that her niece was a mutant, but she hadn't seen Aurora's secret.  She hadn't pried, hadn't poked, hadn't bothered Aurora about it.  She had helped Aurora to get settled in this new city.  To Aurora, Susanne was something of a dream, where she was loved despite her differences.

            But then the school year started.  Susanne had walked with Aurora to her new school, Bayville High, but nothing could really prepare her for her first day.  She still wore a long jacket, but it was a new one. 

            "I don't know, Auntie Suzy, I think they'll notice.  Who else wears the same jacket to school every day, all the time?" Aurora said to her aunt.

            "I've heard that there are some pretty weird people going to that school.  Weird in a fashion sense, I mean." Susanne replied, handing Aurora her backpack. "I've walked by a few times after the class lets out.  There's one kid who always wears red sunglasses.  I hear he never takes them off."

            "Maybe I will fit in." Aurora said doubtfully, trying to believe herself.  

            Her aunt gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you will."

            Aurora walked to her new school and when she arrived, an instinctive shyness kicked in, and she walked hurriedly to her first class, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone.

            The first half of the day passed uneventfully.  A few people gave her strange looks, but she chalked those up to being one of the few new students.  She saw the guy her aunt had mentioned, the one who wore sunglasses all the time.  He didn't seem to be receiving strange stares from anyone, only occasional glares from a group of mismatched people.  One was a really big guy, another was a sort-of small guy with almost gray skin.  There was a white-haired guy and a surly dark-haired dude.  

            At lunch, Aurora tried to find a place where she could eat by herself, but to no avail. 

            "Hey, you're new, aren't you?" a voice hailed her.  It belonged to a tall junior.  He sneered down at her, trying to look nice and failing miserably.  

            She nodded. "Yeah."

            He looked her over. "What's with the jacket?"

            A girl, his friend apparently, came over. "Yeah, and what's with that weird lump on your back?"

            Aurora shrugged. "Nothing.  I don't know, it just appeared." 

            "Come on, let's see it." the guy said, an eagerness for the grotesque showing in his voice.

            "No." Aurora said sharply as the girl reached for her jacket. "Leave me alone."

            The guy pushed her to the ground and tried to rip the jacket from her shoulders.

            "Leave me alone!" Aurora shouted as his hand hit the small lump on back, sending the old pain shooting down her spine.

            Suddenly, the pressure on her back was gone.  She sat up slowly and turned to see two more people.  One was a purple-haired, violet-eyed Asian senior.  The other was a blond, blue-eyed senior.  The Asian girl had the junior's arm twisted behind his back.  The other girl had ran off, undoubtedly to hang out with some other friends.

            "Get going, David." the girl pushed the junior away from her.  

            The blond guy offered Aurora a hand. "Hi, new girl." he said.

            Aurora allowed him to help her up. "Hi. I'm Aurora Briase."

            "Warren." the guy replied.

            "Actually he's Warren Worthington the Third.  Big name, huh?" the Asian girl added with a laugh. "I'm Elisabeth Braddock.  But you can call me Betsy."

            Betsy looked at Aurora, her almond-shaped eyes flickering quickly from the girl to her jacket and then to Warren.

            "Warren…" she said, letting her voice trail off.

            He nodded. "I know."  Both Betsy and Warren had a sneaking suspicion that this girl was a mutant.  

            "You want to meet us after school somewhere?  There are some people that would like to meet you." Warren said to Aurora.

            "I don't know.  Maybe." Aurora replied.  She thought about it for a moment. "I guess.  I don't think I have to get home right away."

            "Okay.  We'll find you." Betsy smiled.

Author's Note: For future chapters, I'm not very good with accents, so Rouge and whoever else has an accent might not have one.  Just pretend they do.


	3. The Xavier Institute

After school, Aurora found Warren and Betsy waiting for her outside her last class.  They walked outside, to find a group of high school kids of various grades waiting for them.

            "Hi, all.  This is Aurora." Warren said.

            The other students smiled quickly and introduced themselves.

            "Scott Summers." the guy with the red sunglasses said.  The redhead girl next to him was next. "I'm Jean Grey."

            "Kurt Wagner." came from a kind of short guy who seemed to be foreign.

             A freshman girl with brown hair said, "Kitty Pryde."

            Betsy shot a glance to Jean. _I think she's one of us._ Betsy said telepathically.

            _Really?  Well she seems to know you and Warren the best.  Why don't you two find out if she is or not? _Jean replied.

            _Okay.  I'll invite her over and let her meet Prof. X._ Betsy decided.

            _You really think she'll want to?_ Jean asked doubtfully.

            Betsy shrugged casually in reply, ending the telepathic conversation.  The other students glanced at them knowingly, all except for Aurora.

            "Um…Aurora, want to come over to our place really quick?  We could show you around town maybe.  After we put our stuff down." Betsy said, a little too fast. _Oh, that was really convincing._ the telepath told herself sarcastically.

            When Aurora hesitated, Kurt said, "Come on.  It'll be fun."

            Jean sent him a look that said, _Don't push her or she'll never come_.

            Aurora fidgeted with the sleeve of her jacket before replying softly, "I guess.  But I have to get home soon."  To her, these kids seemed to be the 'good guys,' of the school, and she did need to get to know the town a little better.

            "Great.  Let's go." Warren flashed her quick smile.

            The ride to the Xavier Institute was quick and bouncy.  Kitty was quite a talker, as Aurora found out, and giggled her way to the Institute in the backseat of Warren's car.  Aurora was only half-listening to the freshman girl's gossip, nodding occasionally to show that she was paying a little attention.

            In the front seat, Betsy noticed that Aurora wasn't noticing what Kitty was saying. "Give it a rest, Kitty, please.  You could talk the legs off a horse." she said, her purple eyes watching them in the rearview mirror.

            "Sorry, I got a little carried away." Kitty replied, quieting.

            "A little?" Kurt's voice called.  He was in the back seat of Scott's convertible, which was right behind Warren's.

            "Okay, a lot.  Jeez, why is everyone ganging up on me?" Kitty asked.

            "Just keep it down." Scott said, ending the conversation.

            The Institute was a large, old mansion, with plenty of room for everyone who lived there.  And it seemed as if a lot of people resided in the stately building.  Aurora recognized some of the kids from school.  The kids came from all different grades and social groups, so it seemed odd that they were living in the same building.

            One girl, who had been leaning wall inside, greeted them as they entered.  She wore dark clothing and had brown hair with two odd streaks of white in them.

            "New friend, Scott?" she asked nonchalantly.

            Scott nodded. "This is Rogue. Rogue, this is Aurora.  She's new."

            "So I guessed." Rogue replied shortly. "Well, see ya later."  The girl waved off-handedly and left.

            "You seem to have quite a mix of people here." Aurora pointed out.

            "Yeah," Jean sighed, "But we have a lot in common, even though you might not notice it."

            "Come on, I want you to meet our headmaster." Betsy said.  She grabbed Aurora's hand and led her away from the group.  Warren followed them.

            Without hesitation, Betsy knocked on the heavy wood door before them.  The two voices inside hushed and a man called out, "Yes?  Who's there?"

            "It's Betsy and Warren, Professor.  We've brought a visitor." Warren replied.

            "Oh, please, come in." the man said.

            The door was opened from the inside, by a Scottish girl who had been talking to the man.

             "Hi Rahne.  This is Aurora." Betsy introduced. 

            "Hi." Rahne replied before moving back into the office and letting the others in before shutting the door again. "Will you be joining us?"   

            "Who is us?" Aurora asked impulsively. "I'm not trying to be rude, but what is this place?"

            "I can explain that." the man, who sat in a wheelchair, said. "I am Professor Charles Xavier, headmaster of this school."


	4. Clipped Wings

The bald, middle-aged man in the wheelchair looked up at Aurora.  He sighed once before beginning.

            "This is a school for special children.  Not a school for geniuses or children with academic problems.  This is a school for those who are born with strange powers, that manifest themselves either physically or mentally."

            Aurora had caught on.  She glanced swiftly at the others in the room.  Warren, Betsy, Rahne.  They were all mutants.

            "You mean this is a school for mutants?" Aurora asked.

            Xavier nodded. "Yes.  We can help you to learn to control your powers and use them as well as you can."

            "I'm afraid I can't use my power." Aurora said, sadness clouding her face.

            "Will you show us?" the professor asked gently.

            "Uh, professor, should we go?" Warren asked.

            "It's okay." Aurora replied.

            She pulled off her jacket slowly.  Underneath she wore a halter top that left her shoulders bare.  She could almost hear the shouts of revulsion her father had given her when he had seen this, but these people wouldn't do that.  They were different.

            "Warren." Betsy sighed. "There is another one."

            "Yes, but look at this." Warren replied.

            "What?" Aurora asked. "Another what?"  She tried to peer around her secret, but she could barely see the people behind her.

            Only it was no longer a secret.  She had wings, feathered ones that grew from her shoulders.

            "Warren has wings too." Betsy told her.

            "What happened to this one?" Warren asked, his fingers gently tracing the crippled wing.  Even that soft action sent pain jolting through her.

            "Please don't touch it." Aurora fought back tears. "It was my father.  He saw me one night with my wings and he broke that one.  I couldn't set the bone myself and I couldn't go a doctor and ask them to fix my wing.  I am a mutant and I can't even use what makes me a mutant."

            "We can set it, Aurora.  We can help you." Xavier said.

            She nodded. "Okay."

            "We should ask your parents for permission for you to stay here."

            Bitterness and sadness filled her voice as she replied. "My mother is dead.  My father threw me out of the house the night he broke my wing." Her voice lightened a little. "But my aunt took me in.  I'm sure she won't mind."

            "Go ahead and call her." Xavier pointed to the phone that sat on his desk.

            Aurora reached for the phone, then hesitated. "If you don't me asking, what are your mutations?"

            Professor Xavier gave her a kind look. "I am telepathic."

            "I am too, and I have some martial arts skills.  Not that martial arts is a mutation." Betsy added.

            "Amazing martial arts skills." Warren corrected. "I have wings."

            "I can become a wolf.  Or a werewolf, depending on how you look at it." Rahne finished.

            Aurora nodded and picked up the phone, dialing her aunt's phone number.  Susanne picked up on the first ring.

            "Hi.  It's me." Aurora said.

            "Where have you been?" Susanne asked, more relieved than anything.

            "Um….I'm at the Xavier Institute.  The headmaster wants me to stay here for a while."

            "The Xavier Institute?" Susanne sounded doubtful.

            "It's okay, Aunt Suzy, they're fine people." Aurora quickly reassured her.

            "Your aunt can meet with me if she likes.  Actually, she should, if you are going to move in." Professor Xavier suggested.

            "You can meet Professor Xavier if you want." Aurora relayed to her aunt.

            "I would like that very much, thank you." her aunt replied. "I'll come by in a few minutes to pick you up."

            "Okay. Bye." 

            Aurora placed the receiver carefully back in its cradle and turned to the others in the room.

            "My aunt's coming in a few minutes."

            "Well, we'd better make sure that she doesn't see a madhouse when she comes." Warren remarked.

            At a strange look from Aurora, Rahne elaborated. "He means she better not see Kurt or some of the others without their…uh, camouflage."

            "Kurt has blue skin, pointy ears and a tail." Betsy added, anticipating Aurora's next question.  

            "Oh." came the reply.

            A few minutes later, a car pulled up in front of the mansion.  A tall, dark-haired woman got out, looking around curiously.

            "Aunt Suzy!" Aurora ran down the front steps to greet her aunt.  Professor Xavier waited at the top of the stairs.

            "Hello, Ms. Starling.  I am Professor Charles Xavier." 

            "Susanne Starling; it's a pleasure to meet you." Susanne replied. "Would you mind telling me about this Institute?"

            "No, of course not." Professor Xavier led the way inside, already telling Susanne about the Institute.

            "He won't tell her the mutant part until later." Betsy had appeared next to Aurora silently. "She does know, doesn't she?"

            "She knows that I'm a mutant.  She doesn't know about my wings." Aurora said absent-mindedly, watching her aunt's receding back as the professor gave her a mini tour of the place.

            "And she accepted you?"

            "Yes.  My mother would have done the same." Aurora answered, a trace of sadness in her voice.

            Betsy laughed lightly. "My parents didn't have much of a choice.  But then again, my father isn't human. He was from another dimension and was sent here to provide a champion.  What he got was twins: me and Brian."

            "Is your brother a mutant?" Aurora asked curiously.

            "Brian is Captain Britain.  He's still in England." Betsy sighed, half-lost in her own thoughts. "Sometimes I worry about him.  I mean, he's only eighteen, and he's defender of Britain."

            "If you don't mind me asking, how come you look Asian if you're English?  And I'm assuming that the Braddock family is English down to its roots." 

            "You assume correctly.  I used to be blond, but then…" Betsy broke off, the pain of old memories choking her voice. "Our minds were switched, in short.  I don't really want to get too into the story."

            Aurora nodded. "I had a brother.  He's twenty-four, but he left home when he was sixteen.  I was eight, but I don't remember him.  I don't know what happened to him either.  I guess he could still be alive, but I haven't heard from him since.  My dad never spoke about him."

            "Ever think that maybe he's a mutant too?  And that's why he left?" Betsy asked.

            "Yeah.  But I don't know if I want to find him."

            "Aurora?" Susanne said softly. "Professor Xavier told me about your wings.  You could have told me, honey, I might have been able to help."

            "I don't think I was ready to tell anyone." Aurora replied.

            "Speaking of your wings, we should probably set the broken one." Betsy remarked, looking quickly to Susanne. "If it's okay with your aunt of course."

            "It's fine." Susanne nodded, then extended a hand. "I don't believe we've met.  I'm Susanne Starling."

            "Elisabeth Braddock." Betsy replied, shaking the outstretched hand. "Aurora, if you will follow me please."

            "Go ahead.  I'll be inside with the professor." Susanne said as Aurora looked her way.

            Aurora smiled gratefully before following Betsy down the hallway to the infirmary.

            Susanne turned to Professor Xavier as her niece left. "You know, I think that is the first time I've seen her smile like that.  Before it always seemed so guarded, like she was distancing herself from the world."

            "I think she was.  But now she has found a place where she can belong." Xavier replied.

Author's Note: This is not the end of the story – at least I think so – even though if it may seem like it.


	5. And Healing Begins

The infirmary was a sterile environment, cool gray and white instead of the warm soft tones of the rest of the mansion.  A blue, furred man was waiting for her.

"Aurora, this is Dr. Hank McCoy." Betsy indicated the man with an elegant hand.

The doctor smiled at her, all teeth and kindness. "Welcome, Aurora."

"Hi." she replied quietly.

"Let's see these wings of yours.  I hear they're as impressive as our resident angel's."

            "Sharp ears reach far, don't they Doctor?" Warren himself entered the hospital. "I was talking to Rahne."

            "Well, well, speak of the devil.  Here is the angel himself." McCoy mused. "He's here to help me.  I'm not primarily an ornithologist."

            Aurora smiled shakily, and shed her coat.  McCoy looked the wing over, humming to himself.  He turned back to his patient.

            "It's a clean break, luckily, so it shouldn't be too hard to set.  However, its been broken for quite some time, so it may hurt more than it should." came the doctor's analysis. "Warren, if you please."

            Betsy stepped out of Warren's way and stood in front of Aurora.  Aurora's face was pale with the mere thought of setting the bone and a look of compassion settled in Betsy's purple eyes.  She held out her hand.

            "Here, hold my hand." Betsy offered. "Squeeze it if it hurts."

            Aurora shook her head. "I don't want to hurt you."

            Betsy smiled. "I'm a master martial artist.  I can deal with a little pain."

            "It's okay.  Thanks for offering." Aurora insisted.

            Warren and the doctor were talking to each other, literally behind her back.  Finally, Dr. McCoy leaned forward.

            "Are you ready, Aurora?"

            She nodded shortly.  The doctor took the broken wing and gently curved it so that the broken ends met.  Aurora's back stiffened and she bit her lip to keep back a cry of pain.  A wave of nausea hit her stomach and tears sprang to her eyes when Warren took the wing from Dr. McCoy so that the doctor could bind it.  Thankfully, it was only a minute before McCoy told her he was done.  

            "You should take it easy for a month or so.  Your body may be able to heal slightly faster than that of a normal human, so it shouldn't take as long."

            "Thank you, sir." Aurora breathed a sigh of relief.

            "If you think you're going to be alright, I'll show you to your room." Betsy said, with a smile.

            "How do you know I'm staying?" Aurora asked.

            "I'm a telepath, remember?  Professor Xavier just told me that your aunt decided to let you stay for a while.  If you don't like it here, you can live with her, and just come visit us on weekends, or whatever." Betsy replied.

            Aurora shrugged. "But I don't have my stuff."

            "Ms. Starling is going to her house now to get it." Professor Xavier said as he entered the infirmary. "Now, I believe you said you would show Aurora to her room, Betsy."

            "Yes, sir." Betsy smiled and turned to leave the room, with Aurora following.  Warren and Dr. McCoy were making notes on a doctor's chart.  Professor Xavier smiled to himself, opening his mind to find the teachers at his school.

            _Ororo, Logan, we have a new student._    


	6. A New Home

The first night, after her aunt had dropped off the bag she had left her home with, Aurora found herself restless and unable to sleep.  Instead, she paced in her room, padding softly across the floor, senses heightened in the darkness.  

            _You really should get some sleep, Aurora. _a voice said in her mind.

            "What?" Aurora blurted out in reply.

            _It's Professor Xavier.  I'm a telepath, remember?  Now, try and get some sleep. _

            Aurora nodded, not knowing whether or not he could hear or see her, but guessing he probably could.  She lay down on her bed gingerly, avoiding the injured wing.  Soon, exhaustion cornered her, and she fell asleep.

            After that first night, Aurora had no trouble sleeping.  She continued to go to Bayville and saw her aunt every weekend.  She also found out more about the other people at the Institute.  Most were her age, give or take a few years.  A few were years older, and were teachers at the Institute.  One was an African woman, with long white hair, despite her young age, who was the aunt of one of the students.  Her name was Ororo Munroe and, Aurora learned, she could control the weather.  Her nephew was Evan Daniels, a skateboarder who could sprout spikes from his skin.  Logan was another. No last name, she was told, just Logan.  Animal senses, a metal skeleton and retractable claws marked him as a mutant.  Dr. McCoy was a third.  

            She also found out about some of the other students.  Scott wore sunglasses to keep his optic blasts from killing everyone.  Jean was psychic.  Kitty could ghost through solid objects.  Kurt could teleport.  Rogue could sap the powers and life-force from any person, making her untouchable.

            Aurora had been staying at the Institute for several weeks now, taking her time to get used to everyone.  Kurt, when without his image inducer, had startled her many times by teleporting to the dinner table or a chair.  Kitty had done the same the first time she walked through the living room wall and Aurora was sitting on a sofa talking to Betsy.  She had also gotten used to Professor Xavier's telepathic form of communication, becoming able enough to answer him in her own mind.  But none of that compared to when she went to Dr. McCoy after almost a month.

            He gingerly tested her healing wing. "Well, Aurora.  Your wing has healed.  You can fly again is you wish."

            He removed the splint and bandages and let her go.  Aurora wasted no time in finding Warren, who had asked to be there when she took her first flight.  In case she fell, he had said with a smile.

            "Ready to fly, huh?" he asked.  She nodded in reply and he followed her outside.  

            Aurora raised her face to the sunlight, letting the rays fall on her face.  She raised her wings and let the cool breeze that blew lift the feathers.  Beside her, Warren let his wings unfold from his own back.  

            He shot Aurora a quick smile and a glance as she sighed and looked up at him.  He raised his eyebrows in silent query and she nodded.  With a flickering glance at the sky, Aurora pushed her hesitancy to the back of her mind and took a step into the sky.


	7. Flight

Author's Note: In the episode where Lance decides to join the X-men, there is a girl with long dark hair who throws fireballs.  Can someone tell me who she is? 

Instantly, Aurora was aware of the sky.  It was as if a sixth sense had returned to her.  She knew the wind currents, the little breezes, the clouds.  They were her highways and roads and she was a traveler.  

            She had forgotten the joy of flying.  Nothing on earth compared to the ability to soar and dive in the air, unhampered by parachutes or the fear of crashing back to the ground.

            "You missed this, didn't you?" Warren asked.  She turned to see him aloft as well, his eyes studying her intently.

            "Yeah.  I've flown before, but not very often, and only at night." Aurora replied.

            "Night, eh?  You have good eyes?"

            "Now I do." 

            When she and Warren landed ten minutes later, they looked up to see Professor Xavier, Scott and Betsy waiting for them.  Warren fidgeted a little and Aurora knew that Professor Xavier was telling him something.  Then the silence was broken.

            "You are a very good flyer, Aurora." the professor said with a smile.

            "I've had some practice." she replied.

            "Aurora, it is time that we told you a little more about this school.  Please come inside." Xavier said, motioning them all inside.

            "This school does more for mutants than shelter them." Xavier began. "This school trains them."

            "Trains them?" Aurora asked.

            "Yes." Xavier replied. "We train them to fight."

            "Fight?" Aurora repeated, feeling very much like a parrot.

            Xavier seemed to smile at her confusion. "There are other mutants out there, who have been led astray by evil or who have been so taunted by mankind that they turn against them.  These mislead mutants can wreak havoc on humans.  Many of them are very powerful and very skilled with their abilities.  Others do not understand their abilities and cannot control them very well.  The students here are trained to fight these threats to mankind."

            "Ah," Aurora nodded, "so it's kind of like a mutant combat school."

            "It is exactly that." Xavier replied. "Each mutant has a uniform and a codename they use so that witnesses do not know who they are."

            "Okay, so," Aurora said slowly, "you want me to join this group of yours."

            "Bright girl.  She catches on quick." Warren quipped.

            "Yes, we do." Scott interjected before Warren could continue.

            "As an introduction, why don't you watch some of the other students train?" Xavier asked.

            The group of trainees included the kids she had seen and met before.  Bobby Drake was an over-confident boy, aptly nicknamed Iceman for his ability to form and turn objects into ice.  Rahne was called Wolfsbane.  Sam Guthrie, a boy who seemed to be a human rocket, was called Cannonball.  Jubilation Lee, outgoing and showy, was called Jubilee, a name that fitted her ability to create a firework-like spectacle.  Jamie Madrox was a quiet boy, and there always seemed to be ten of him hanging around because of his ability to form duplicates of himself, hence the name Multiple.

            The already-formed team consisted of Scott – Cyclops, Ororo – Storm, Rogue and Jean, who kept their names, Kitty Pryde – Shadowcat, Kurt – Nightcrawler, Logan – Wolverine, Evan – Spyke, Betsy – Psylocke and Warren – Angel.  They were the teachers for the trainees.  

            Aurora stood next to Betsy as the trainees split into groups, each person in an identical dark blue uniform.

            "Ready to begin for the day?" Logan asked.


	8. The Danger Room

Author's Note: Good News: I have the story planned out.  Bad News: It'll take me a while to write it.

Imhotep Ardeth Bey – Well, Sunspot and Berserker aren't in this one, but Multiple has a cameo.

He was greeted with half-hearted groans.  Aurora noticed that though they slumped their shoulders, the trainees were smiling and joking with each other.  Their training sessions lasted for a few hours a day, and were varied in content.  Some took place outside, in the pool or on the grass and others were inside what was called the Danger Room. The Danger Room was a large room that was full of hidden surprises of laser beams, giant claws, and other weaponry.  It basically served as a metal obstacle course for the trainees and the team.

            Aurora stood in the control room of the Danger Room with Ororo, Betsy and Kurt, watching a group of the trainees race around the room, dodging falling metal blocks, laser beams and various traps.

            Rahne was in her wolf form.  She was brown, and slightly smaller than a full-grown wolf, looking instead like a dog.  She leaped over a low-lying, reaching claw and sped by another searching hand.

            Jamie was successfully confusing a gun turret spouting laser beams by creating duplicates of himself.  The turret did not know which of Multiple's multiples to fire on, and struck down several of his duplicates, allowing Jamie to successfully escape.

            Jubilee and Iceman, the two show-offs of the group, were both trying to outdo each other.  Jubilee would send a bright firework sparking into a gun turret, shutting it down.  Iceman would follow by throwing an ice-lance at one of the ground-creeping claws, pinning it to the ground.

            "Those two have the potential to become very powerful, but sometimes they use their powers so loosely, I wonder if they'll every realize it," Ororo sighed, seeing where Aurora was looking.

            "Have you given any thought to whether you'll join or not?" Kurt asked, his pale blue eyes watching Wolfsbane twist to dodge a laser beam.

            Aurora shrugged.  She had been thinking about it, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to keep up with the other students.  In school, she had never done any sports, and never really exercised outside of Physical Education, save for the occasional hike.  And after her wings grew in, she had avoided swimming.  

            "You don't have to decide now," Betsy said. "Maybe you should give the Danger Room a try."

            "Well," Aurora paused, "No offense to Warren, but I don't quite understand how just being able to fly will help anyone in a fight."

            Betsy looked at her thoughtfully. "Warren is strong enough to carry people, lift things, whatever.  My guess is that you won't be able to do that."

            "Probably not."

            "We could probably find some way for you to fight," Ororo said.

            "I think I have a way," Aurora replied. "I brought a weapon with me."

            "Really?" Kurt asked, from where he was hanging from the ceiling.

            Aurora looked at him, then quickly looked away.  Even though she had become accustomed to Kurt's quick exits and entrances, something about having to talk to a blue guy hanging upside down unnerved her.

            "When I left my dad's house, I brought my archery set," she replied. "After I read about some famous archers, I wanted to start shooting.  My dad bought me a bow and arrows."

            "It might work," Ororo conceded, "We've never had an archer in our ranks before."

            "Okay, then," Kurt teleported to the floor with a poof of smoke and sulfur. "Go get your bow and let's see you shoot."


	9. Target Practice

Aurora nodded and left.  She was a pretty good shot, but she had never tried shooting from the air.  Now she almost wished she had never suggested using her bow.  Still, archery was one of the few skills she had that she was confident in.  She went into her room and grabbed the long box she had packed into her bag when she left.  As she left, she glanced at Kodiak the timber wolf who was sitting on her bed.

            "Wish me luck," she muttered sarcastically.

            She went down the stairs, and somehow found her way back to the Danger Room.  Ororo looked at her. "Are you ready?"

            "Sure," Aurora shrugged.  

            Betsy leaned over to the microphone that opened into a speaker in the Danger Room, as Ororo shut down the program.

            "Okay, guys, move to the walls.  Aurora's coming down to try out her archery," Betsy called.

            She got a thumbs-up from Bobby and a nod from everyone else as the claws and gun turrets retreated.  

            "Let's go," Kurt said.  He wrapped a three-fingered hand around Aurora's wrist and she nodded.  With a Bamf, he teleported both of them to the Danger Room floor.  Aurora swayed on her feet, disoriented by the teleportation.  She put out an unsteady hand and felt fur.  Wolfsbane's soft wolf eyes stared up at her, tail wagging.

            "Thanks Rahne," Aurora smiled shakily.

            She bent down and opened the box, pulling out a recurved bow and a quiver of arrows.  She strung the bow and picked up an arrow, waiting expectantly.

            "Aurora," Ororo's voice came over the speakers. "Why don't we see how you are on the ground first."

            A target popped out of the floor and Aurora notched her arrow to the string.  She automatically settled into an archer's stance and aimed for a second before releasing the arrow.

            The arrow buried its tip in the center circle of the target.  Bobby whistled. "Good shot."

            Aurora fired a few more arrows at the target, each one hitting the bulls-eye, before Ororo stopped her.

            "This time the target will be moving," she instructed.

            Aurora did slightly worse with moving targets, but she still managed to hit all of the targets close to the bull's-eye.  When the target slowed its erratic movements, she sighed and walked over to the target and slid the arrows free from it.

            "Ready to take to the air?" Ororo asked over the intercom.

            Aurora nodded.  She tried to shoulder her quiver, and was rather unsuccessful since she kept hitting her wings.  Muttering a curse, she pulled three arrows from the quiver and dropped it as she took to the air.

            This time the target dropped from the ceiling.  Aurora hovered for a minute, trying to fit an arrow to the string and hold onto the other two arrows at the same time.  When she was again unsuccessful, she bit down on the two arrows, holding them with her teeth while she aimed for the target.  Her first arrow missed the center ring, hitting slightly above it.

            _Why don't you let me hold those? _avoice asked in her head as an invisible hand gently tugged at the extra arrows.

            Aurora jerked in surprise, almost dropping her bow.  The arrows hovered in mid-air, held up by Jean Grey, who stood with Ororo and Betsy in the control room of the Danger Room.

            Aurora nodded her thanks and pulled one of the arrows from Jean's grip, fitting it to the bowstring and firing, this time hitting the bull's-eye.  The third arrow hit close to the second.

            Ororo had her fire more arrows from the air, some at a moving target, some at a stationary target.  For the stationary targets, Aurora was asked to fly by it and fire.  It took her five arrows before she was able to get the timing right to hit the target on a "fly-by."

            After almost twenty minutes of airborne practice, Aurora settled down to earth with a sigh.  Jean handed her the quiver she had dropped.

            "Dr. McCoy could probably fix this so you could wear it while flying," she commented.

            "I hope so," Aurora replied earnestly.  She had felt like a fool, trying to fly and fumbling with her arrows and quiver.

            She left with Jamie, Rahne and Jean, leaving Jubliee and Bobby to resume their competition in the Danger Room.

Author's Note: There will be many abrupt chapter endings since I'm trying to post as soon as I finish a section.


	10. Telepathic Nightmare

After dinner that night, she gave the quiver to Dr. McCoy and was told that he could solve her problem.  Aurora thought she would be able to fall asleep quickly, since the Danger Room had used up much of her strength that day, but she couldn't.  Instead she found herself sitting forlornly on the edge of her bed, much like during her first night at the school.

            She growled to herself angrily, wondering why she couldn't sleep.  It wasn't that she wasn't tired; she could barely sit up.  It wasn't that her mind was full of thoughts; it was as empty as the still night air.  Or so she thought.  Then there was a whisper.

_            Good evening, Aurora._

At first she thought it was Professor Xavier, Betsy or Jean.  Perhaps they had sensed her discomfort and sought to help her sleep, as Xavier had done before.  But never before had a stab of pain accompanied a telepathic message.  She pressed her fingers to her temples, wincing.

            The mental whisper persisted. _Good evening, Aurora.  Will you not grant me a greeting, little one?_

_            What do you want?  Who are you?_ her mind screamed.

            _Little one, why do you fear so much? _Another stab of pain hit her brain and she slid from her bed into a heap on the floor.

            _Who are you?_ she lashed out angrily, feeling helpless as waves of agony slammed into her.

            The waves subsided into a hurt bubble of pain. _You don't know me, little one?  You don't remember me?_

_            I don't know who you are, _she told the voice.  Had she been thinking clearly, she would have contacted Professor Xavier, Psylocke or Jean Grey.  But she wasn't, and she hadn't.  

            The mental bubble became a shockwave that shot through her.  _No!  Leave her alone! _a second whisper seemed to have joined the first.  Aurora noticed, with some confusion, that the two voices seemed to come from the same source.

            _What are you doing to me? _the second voice asked.

            _I am merely giving you what you deserve, _the original whisper replied, cold cruelty reverberating along the mental link.  Another jolt of pain hit, followed by a volley of them, bringing tears to Aurora's eyes.

            Aurora's wings fluttered wildly, reflecting her confusion and frustration.  _Leave me alone!_ she cried, and when the pain did not stop, the same cry was ripped from her throat.

            "Leave me alone!"

            Her cry was again echoed, this time by a pleading mental voice, the second voice to speak.  _I will not let you hurt her.  Leave her alone!_

            _I shall do as I please,_ the first voice replied, as annoyingly as a little child with an attitude problem.

            _"Stop it!"_ Aurora screamed, with her mind and voice.  Her wings dropped to the floor, sweeping around her in a puddle of feathers.  Then a hand touched her shoulder.  She flinched away from it at first, but then thought it might be a friend.  She turned to see who it was and a lance of hurt speared her.

            She couldn't see who the figure was.  It was tall and dark, hidden by the night's shadows.  Teeth glistened as it opened its mouth to speak, but all that came out was a telepathic whisper.

            _Good evening, child._

            Aurora slid backwards, away from the figure, who took slow steps into her room.  It must have been a heavy person, but no footsteps thudded on the floor.  It raised a hand towards her and she shrank back, her wings pulling around her in a protective shield.

            The figure was almost within arms' reach when she felt her bow and a loose arrow propped up on the wall behind her.  She stood up, and somehow managed to grab the arrow and the bow with the right hands.  The figure hesitated, but only for a second.  She aimed the arrow at the figure's head and fired.  The instant she fired the arrow, pain drove her back to her hands and knees and she dropped the bow.  Before she could look up to see if the arrow had hit its mark, she blacked out, her wings outstretched unconsciously, reaching for the sky.  


	11. Confusion

Betsy felt, rather than heard, the agony in Aurora's mind.  When she heard the girl scream, she ran to her room.  She threw the door open to see Aurora collapsing as she loosed an arrow.  An astral image of _someone_ disappeared as the arrow left the bow.  The arrow, however, did not disappear.  Betsy ducked and it whizzed into the wall behind her.

            "Aurora," Betsy called softly.  She made her way to the girl's side and gently touched her arm.

            There was no response.  Betsy opened her mind to Aurora's and gently nudged it with a telepathic probe.

            _Aurora,_ she said.

            Betsy felt the girl's presence return.  Confusion, anger and pain swam in her mind and Betsy shifted them aside temporarily.

            "Wake up," Betsy said.

            Aurora's eyes stayed closed, but she sighed deeply and her wings lowered to her back.  Then she blinked and looked up at Betsy.

            "There was someone in my head," she croaked, "Someone other than you or the professor or Jean."

            "I'll get the professor," Betsy said.

            She stood up to see Warren, Kitty, Rogue and Rahne standing in the doorway.  Warren flicked the lights on and Aurora blinked again.

            "What happened here?" Rogue asked, eyeing the disheveled bed and the arrow in the wall.

            "I think we'll all know in due time, Rogue," Kitty replied.

            "Why don't you go downstairs and heat up some water for tea.  Aurora's been through a lot tonight," Betsy told them. "And, Warren, can you get the professor, please?"

            Kitty nodded silently and led the others away.  Betsy helped Aurora to her bed, noticing that the girl was shaking and cold.

            "Come on, Aurora, why don't we go downstairs and you can warm up," Betsy urged.

            Aurora nodded. "Okay."

            Downstairs they found the professor, Warren, Kitty, Rahne and Rogue waiting for them in the living room.  As they entered the room, Kitty handed Aurora a mug of tea.  

            "I understand you were attacked," Professor Xavier said calmly.

            "Yes sir," Aurora replied. "By a telepath."

            "I wonder why I did not sense another telepath nearby," Xavier mused.

            Betsy looked at him. "I didn't notice it until I heard her scream, and then I felt it."

            "There was a person in my room, professor," Aurora said, "It seemed like a guy, someone middle-aged, but strong and powerful….and cruel."

            "How so?" Xavier asked.

            "It hurt when he talked to me.  It was like I was being stabbed in the head when he talked to me," Aurora hesitated. "But there was another voice, one that was softer, helpless.  The figure was hurting the other voice as well, and I was able to feel the other's pain."

            "Were they from the same source?" Xavier asked, leaning forward.

            Aurora nodded. "They seemed to be."

            Professor Xavier sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who or what is trying to harm you, Aurora."

            "Maybe Cerebro can help," Kitty suggested.

            "It's worth a try," Betsy added. 

            "Very well," Xavier replied, "Betsy, why don't you give it a try?  This would be a good opportunity for you to practice your use of Cerebro."

            Betsy nodded and stood up to leave. "What am I looking for?"

            "To tell you the truth, Betsy, I'm not sure," Xavier said. "A telepath, maybe two.  But it is very odd to have two telepathic voices from the same source, so it may be one telepath and some mutant with an unknown mutation that allows him to tap into other mutants' powers."

            "Like me," Rogue said shortly.

            "Do you think they'll be back?" Aurora asked as Betsy left.

            "I don't know, Aurora," Xavier replied. "We'll have to see what Betsy turns up."


	12. First Mission

Author's Note/Warning: Psylocke, Angel and Wolfsbane are among my favorite X-men characters, so they will have bigger roles in this than Jean, Cyclops, Wolverine, etc.  

Betsy waited for the heavy metal doors to slide shut before sitting down in front of the computer.  She took a deep breath and then put on the headset for Cerebro.  Though she was not as experienced as Jean or the professor, she knew what to do.  Cerebro enhanced her telepathic powers, letting her see farther and more clearly than she could by herself.  What she saw on this telepathic search confused her.  Two lifeforms, two minds were in what seemed to be one form.  She removed the headset and shut down the computer.

            "Professor, I've never seen or heard of this before," Betsy continued.  Her audience of two was silent.  Rahne, Warren, Kitty and Rogue had left, at the request of the professor.

            "Well, you're not the only one," the professor replied. "Cerebro will keep track of the mutant.  Tomorrow morning, a team will go out to find him.  Aurora, I would like you to go on this mission.  Even though you haven't really begun your training, the telepathic attack seemed to be aimed at you."

            "I'll go," Aurora nodded.

            "In the meantime, I suggest you try to go back to sleep," Xavier added.  At that Aurora blanched unconsciously.  If going back to her room meant being haunted again….

            "No, Aurora, you don't have to go back to your room.  You can sleep down here.  I don't think the couches are too uncomfortable," Xavier replied.

            "Good night, professor, Aurora," Betsy said.  She turned and went back to her own room, stifling a yawn as night caught up to her.  Xavier bid Aurora a good night and left soon after.

            Aurora lay down gingerly on one of the couches, feeling like she could never sleep again.  She was wrong, and soon her eyes fluttered closed as Morpheus visited her.

            The next morning, during a quick breakfast, the professor outlined the team's mission.  He had picked Storm to lead it.  Angel, Psylocke, Wolfsbane, Nightcrawler, Spyke and Aurora were the rest of the team.  

            "Cerebro has tracked the mutant to a waste dump outside of Manhatten.  He appears to be staying in the vicinity of the dump.  I don't know how he will appear, since there seem to be two telepaths within one, but don't underestimate him," Xavier warned.

            Storm nodded for all of them. "We'll be careful, professor."

            "Aurora," Xavier turned to her, "You need a code-name."

            "Does she really?" Nightcrawler asked from the ceiling. "I mean, Aurora is a code-name itself."

            "I would prefer if she had one, just for safety's sake," Xavier returned.

            "How 'bout Angel 2?" Kurt asked unhelpfully. 

            "Um…how 'bout 'no?'" Aurora replied.  She glanced around the room.  When she saw Wolfsbane, she got an idea.

            "Kodiak," she said.

            "Where did that come from?" Spyke asked.

            "A stuffed animal," Aurora replied. "It's a wolf pup that I named Kodiak.  Rahne reminded me of it."

            Storm nodded. "Kodiak it is."

            "Good luck," Xavier told them.

            Storm nodded again and each of the mutants headed to their rooms to change.  Ten minutes later, they were in the _Blackbird_'s hanger.  Both Aurora and Rahne wore the dark blue training uniform that the trainees wore.  Aurora also had the modified quiver that Dr. McCoy had given to her after breakfast and her bow.  Storm and Spyke also wore dark blue, but Storm had a cape that was clipped to her wrists.  Nightcrawler wore dark red and black.  Angel was wearing blue and white and had a gold halo on the front of his uniform.  Psylocke wore a dark blue leotard-like outfit with elbow-high gloves and knee-high boots.  A purple sash was tied around her waist.

            "Ready, Aurora?" Storm asked. "Or should I say, Kodiak?"

            "Yes," Aurora replied, feeling less confident than she sounded.  Then Storm looked at each of them and led them aboard the jet.  Kodiak settled into the seat behind Storm, who was piloting the jet.  Angel sat in the co-pilot's seat, with Psylocke behind him and Rahne and Spyke behind her.  Nightcrawler was behind Kodiak.

            The jet shot through the opening in the waterfall and lifted into the sky, a small black shape to those on the ground.  Kodiak looked out the window as they traveled.  The jet was nice as far as flying went, but nothing quite compared to being able to fly by herself.

            "We're almost there," Storm announced, almost half an hour later.  A square of tan and gray marked the dump.  Luckily, there was a parking lot nearby, where dump trucks parked.  Not all the spaces were full, and Storm and Angel turned the plane towards the empty asphalt of the parking lot.  As they got closer, they could see pieces of junk flying through the air, in a seemingly random formation.

            It was Storm who first noticed the pattern. "It's a tornado," she said. "The cause of it will be at the eye of the storm."

Another Note: Wolfsbane is still in training, but see Author's Note at the beginning of this chapter as to the reason she's on the mission.


	13. The Eye of the Storm

As Storm and Angel landed the _Blackbird_, several heavy objects thudded against the outside of the jet as things started to fly over the fence. 

            "There's the mutant," Angel pointed.  A young man, barely distinguishable in the swirl of debris, was kneeling on the ground.

            "Get out of the plane," Storm commanded. "Try to reach him.  I don't think he has complete control over his powers."

            Nightcrawler teleported out of the jet to materialize on the ground next to it.  The others filed out and scattered as an old television set crashed to the ground where they were standing.  Storm, Kodiak and Angel took to the air, soaring over the fence.  Nightcrawler teleported over, as Spyke sent a barrage of spikes at the fence, cutting a hole through it.  He jumped through, followed by Wolfsbane and Psylocke.

            As the tornado sent more and more debris flying over the fence, some of it slamming into the _Blackbird_, Storm's eyes went completely white.  She held out her hands, summoning a wind that whirled around the tornado, hemming it in.

            Nightcrawler tried teleporting to the eye of the storm where the mutant was, but a stray washing machine caught him an unlucky blow to the stomach and sent him flying out of the tornado.

            Kodiak held an arrow loosely in her hand.  She was loathe to fire, for fear of killing the figure in the center of the storm.  Suddenly, pain stabbed through her head.

            _Child, you have come to visit, how nice._

            The voice and the pain were louder and more potent since she was so close to the source that she screamed aloud.  The arrow slipped from her fingers and her wings spasmed, shaking violently.

            _Why do you scream?_ She recognized this voice as the second one, and wondered where the first one was.  Then she realized she was falling.  Her wings weren't responding to her mind.  Instead of flapping, or even opening, they were folded against her back.  Her fall was broken by Angel's arms as he lowered her to the ground.

            "What happened?" he asked. 

            Psylocke ran over. "The voice came back.  I could feel it, even though it wasn't directed at me."

            _Storm, we need to stop him!_ Psylocke said.

            The windrider nodded, a barely perceptible move from her position in the sky. _I'll end this tornado of his.  Get Nightcrawler to teleport you in there and use your psychic knife on him_

_            Got that,_ Psylocke replied. _Nightcrawler._

            Instantly, Nightcrawler was at her side.  Psylocke told him of Storm's plan and he nodded. 

            "I'm ready when you are," he said.

            "Almost," Psylocke replied.  She concentrated on her left fist and a violet glow built up around it, forming an intangible blade.

            Storm summoned a more powerful wind that simply flattened the tornado, sending debris crashing to the ground.  A few pieces of old furniture still rolled along the ground, but the tornado was successfully squashed.

            Nightcrawler took Psylocke's free hand and teleported them two feet away from the mutant.  Psylocke stepped forward, and before the young man could do anything, she plunged the psychic knife between his eyes.  He crumpled and the last bits of junk clunked to a stop.

            The others ran over from various places around the yard where they had been dodging the tornado.  Storm landed and the winds calmed.

            "He's telepathic and telekinetic," Psylocke commented. "But I don't think he's the cruel voice Kodiak was mentioning."

            Kodiak stepped forward, her eyes locked on the young man.  He had dark hair and appeared to be in his early twenties.  

            "Storm, I know him," she said quietly.


	14. The Parasite

"How?" Storm asked.

            "He's my brother, Matt," Kodiak replied.  Psylocke glanced at her. 

            "The one who ran away from home," she said flatly.

            Kodiak nodded. "The one my dad never talked about.  I think he knew about Matt, so he kicked him out of the house and acted like he had never existed."

            The young man started to stir ten minutes later with the help of a little telepathic nudging on the part of Psylocke.  His eyes opened and a collective gasp shattered the silence.  Matt Briase's eyes had no irises or pupils.  Instead they were a solid silver.

            "Matt?" Kodiak asked hesitantly.

            Her brother blinked. "Aurora?  You've grown."

            "Matt, what's wrong with your eyes?  They're silver," she asked.

            He raised his hands to them, as if noticing them for the first time. "I don't know.  Aurora, there's something in my head.  Someone."

            "We know," Kodiak replied. "Who is he?"

            Matt opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out.  He gasped as if he were being suffocated, lurched forward and collapsed.  Kodiak was at his side instantly. 

            "Matt?" she shook her brother's arm.

            Psylocke, sensing a surge of telepathic power, grabbed Kodiak's arm and pulled her back. "Stand back, Kodiak.  Something's going to happen."

            Suddenly, Matt's eyes opened, but it was clear that he was not conscious.  A ghost-like form drifted out of them, solidifying when it was free from the young man's body.

            The figure before them was a man, broad-shouldered and muscular.  He was middle-aged and could almost have passed for a normal person.  His clothes were black, but they were hard to distinguish from his skin and hair.  They too were midnight black.  The only part of him that wasn't black was his eyes, which were silver.

            _Good day, children,_ he said. 

            "What did you do to my brother?" Kodiak asked.

            He laughed telepathically, each chuckle resounding painfully in everyone's brains. _I am a mutant, much like you.  I am telepathic, yes, but I can live within another creature, preferably a mutant.  I am like a parasite, you could say._

"But you don't have to be a parasite?" 

            _That is correct.  But what is the fun of having the ability to do so if you aren't going to utilize your powers?_

"You enslave others," Kodiak said, "What fun is that?"

            _You wound me.  I don't enslave them, I merely –_

_            You merely invade their brains and take over, isn't that right, Sir Parasite? _Betsy asked heatedly.  Her presence was in the X-men's minds, pushing aside the pain that the parasitic mutant had inflicted every time he spoke.

            _Who asked you? _he looked at Psylocke and narrowed his eyes.  She cried out and staggered, hit by a telepathic attack.  Angel caught her as she fell and glared at the parasite.

            _Such anger, from one so young, _the mutant sighed mockingly. _What is the world coming to?_

He started to retreat into his unwilling host, who was still unconscious.  Kodiak raised her bow, an arrow on the string and fired it.  It struck the mutant in the arm, which was still solid.

            _If I entered your brother, I could force him to attack you, as I did before, _he warned.

            "But he fought your control, didn't he?  He's stronger than you thought," Kodiak accused, another arrow ready.

            _True, I may have underestimated him, but it will make no difference if I fry all his brain cells._

"If you do that, I will kill you," Kodiak replied and fired the second arrow.  It hit his shoulder, right above the first one.

            The parasite hesitated, not so much out of fear, but because his host was waking up.  Psylocke was staring at Matt intensely, concentrating her telepathy into a psychic wakeup call.

            The parasite shuddered.  Matt was awake, and using his own telepathy to force the parasite out of him.  Finally, the parasite drifted out of the young man's eyes and solidified, landing on the ground nearby.

            _I can find another host, _the parasite hissed.  He started to flee, but a lightning bolt slammed down in front of him.

            "You can, it's true, but you won't," Storm called from the sky.  Thunderclouds crawled across the sky, and lightning pooled in her hands as Storm hovered, waiting.  Behind the parasite, Wolfsbane shifted from human to wolf form and Spyke sprouted spikes along his arms and shoulders.  Angel and Kodiak took to the air.

            There was a moment where there was no movement from any of the combatants.  The first attack came from neither the X-men nor the parasite.  Matt stood up and held out a hand that sent a force bolt into the parasite, throwing him backwards.

            The parasite was caught off-guard and stumbled.  Matt approached him, one hand still outstretched, his eyes no longer silver since the parasite left.

            "The windrider is right, Parasite.  I'll kill you before you find another host."


	15. Final Liberation

The parasite dodged the next stab of lightning and ran, glaring at Storm as he did.  The windrider cried out and began to fall, her concentration severed by the telepath's attack.  Angel swooped up to her and matched her speed as she fell, gradually slowing her descent until he could catch her.

            "Wolfsbane, he's yours," Spyke shouted.

            The wolf bounded forward and leaped, slamming into the parasitic mutant, knocking him over.  She growled as he tried to rise, but he ignored her threat and sent a telepathic bolt into her head.  Wolfsbane howled in fury and anger, shaking her head to clear it.  The parasite grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and threw her off him.  He tried to rise, but a row of spikes in front of him stopped him.

            Spyke bristled, a row of spikes fanning along his shoulders.  The parasite turned and ran in the other direction, only to be sent flying with a hard kick from Psylocke.  Before he could hit the ground, a rush of wings heralded Angel's aerial attack and the parasite found himself in the sky, swept aloft by Angel.

            _Before you attack Angel, parasite, remember that if you do incapacitate him, he will drop you and none of us will move to catch you, _Psylocke warned telepathically.

            The parasite growled, but made no move to attack the winged mutant.  Psylocke focused her telepathy on the mutant parasite, trying to send a force bolt into his head.  The telepathic parasite's mental defenses were formidable, and Psylocke strained to slip past them.

            "Try your psychic blade on him, Psylocke," Angel shouted. "I can't hold him forever."

            It was true.  The telepathic mutant was twist out Angel's grip despite the drop to the ground below.  Psylocke nodded and concentrated her powers on forming the blade once again.

            "How am I supposed to get up there?" she muttered to Nightcrawler, who had moved up beside her.

            "Maybe I can give you a hand," a voice said.  Matt Briase looked at her, his dark eyes flickering to the mutant above.

            Psylocke nodded.  Matt held out a hand, fingers spread in the direction of Psylocke.  While she focused her telepathy on her psychic knife, he used his telekinesis to lift her towards the parasite.

            The parasite saw her coming and grinned. _I may not attack Angel, you say, but what about your anchor on the ground? _

            He glared down at Matt who's own psychic abilities blocked the parasite's attack.  The young man sent his own back at the parasite telepathically, still holding Psylocke in the air.

            The parasite winced as his former victim's telepathy struck him. _No matter, there is still you, blade-bearer._  He focused on Psylocke and she wavered.

            "Storm!" Angel shouted.  The windrider nodded and sent a small, strong gust of wind at the parasite, buffeting both him and Angel backwards, disrupting his mind-hold on Psylocke.  Angel fluttered his wings wildly, trying to stabilize himself.  Kodiak swooped between Psylocke and the parasite, whacking the parasite in the face with her bow as she passed, keeping him from concentrating on Psylocke.

            "Psylocke, hit him now!" she said as he shook his head.

            Matt closed the distance between Psylocke and the parasite quickly, allowing Psylocke to sink her ethereal blade into the mutant's skull.  The parasite went limp in Angel's grip.

            "He won't be unconscious for long," Matt warned as Angel lowered the parasite to the ground in the parking lot and Storm and Kodiak landed.  The others all gathered in the parking lot near the junkyard.

            "It will be long enough," Storm replied.  She went into the _Blackbird_ to contact Professor Xavier and returned a minute later.

            "The professor will be arriving shortly," she reported. "In the meantime, I suggest we clean this place up a little."  Her gaze swept the junk littering the yard and the hole in the fence.

            "Easier said that done, Storm," Nightcrawler remarked.  Matt looked at him and the other X-men, then at Kodiak, a question in his eyes.

            "Introductions first," Kodiak said. "Matt, this is Storm, Nightcrawler, Spyke, Wolfsbane, Angel and Psylocke.  I live with them, among others."

            "And this professor Storm spoke of.  Whose he?"

            "Professor Xavier.  He is a telepath and the founder and owner of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, a school for mutants."

            "Ah," Matt nodded. "Now, to clean up.  I'm afraid, Nightcrawler, I can prove you wrong."

            He gestured at the scattered junk and every piece flew back into a pile.  Then he pointed to the hole in the fence.  Spyke's spikes buried themselves into a junk pile and the fence links wove themselves back together.  When Matt was done, there was no trace that the fence was anything less than brand new.

            "Wow," Wolfsbane said.  She was in human form, a short brown-haired girl.

            "I've had a while to practice," Matt replied as the X-men's helicopter landed in a cloud of dust.  A ramp extended from the door to the ground and Professor Xavier rolled out.  Dr. McCoy followed him.

            The professor nodded cordially to all of the X-men and Matt, and then turned his attention to the parasite.  No one could see the changes in the parasite, but the telepaths could feel it.  Xavier was altering the mutant's abilities.  The parasite would be a much weaker telepath afterwards, so weak that any mind-reading he did would seem like a hallucination.  The parasite would have such little memory of his parasitic lifestyle that it would seem like a dream.

            When Xavier was finished, he slumped into his wheelchair with a sigh. "That psychic blade of yours is quite powerful, Psylocke.  And it will probably keep getting more powerful."

            Dr. McCoy lifted the unconscious mutant and loped off with him, his bulk hiding his surprising speed.

            "Where's he taking him?" Matt asked.

            The professor seemed to notice him for the first time. "To a bench in a park nearby.  That mutant, unfortunately, is better off not knowing he's a mutant.  I'm Professor Xavier, and you must be the parasite's victim."

            _Matthew Briase, professor.  Aurora's brother, _Matt replied.

            "So your mutation manifested itself as telepathy and telekinesis, Matthew.  You are most welcome at the Institute," Xavier smiled.

            "Thank you, sir," Matt said.

            "Are we leaving yet?" Nightcrawler called.  He had already teleported to the _Blackbird_.

            "Yes," Storm replied. "When the Beast returns."

            The Beast a.k.a. Dr. Hank McCoy, returned mere moments later, hardly out of breath.  "Did I keep you waiting long?"

            "No, Hank, but we should leave now," Xavier said, motioning to the helicopter and rolling towards it.

            Dr. McCoy bounded ahead of him into the pilot's seat.  Nightcrawler disappeared into the _Blackbird_, followed by Spyke, Wolfsbane, Angel and Storm.  Psylocke, Kodiak and Matt were behind them.

            "Matt, the professor was speaking the truth, just in case you were doubting him," Psylocke said. "We really would like you to come home with us."

            Matt nodded, then grinned suddenly, a ray of sunlight breaking through clouds. "I know.  I think I will."

            Kodiak gently tugged on Psylocke's sash. "I've never seen him smile like that.  Even when he was still living at home, he never looked so genuinely happy."

            "I know," Psylocke smiled at her. "But now he has found a place where he can belong."

Author's Note: I do believe that is the longest chapter I have ever written…One more chapter to go.  You could stop reading here if you're impatient, but the next chapter is coming in a day or two.  Also, I don't know if Xavier is able to do what he did to the parasite but I figure since he is an extremely powerful telepath he should be able to.


	16. Home

The flight back quiet and calm, and when the _Blackbird _landed and rolled to a stop, a collective sigh fell softly on the air.  

            "Why don't you give Matthew a tour of the mansion?" Xavier asked.

            Aurora blushed a little. "I could use another tour myself, actually."

            "Okay, we'll give you the tour," Betsy said.  She and Warren walked up to them. "After we all change."

            "Meet you in the living room in ten minutes," Aurora said.

            "It's a date," Warren said cheekily. 

            As Aurora and Matt walked back to her room, she remembered one thing she forgot to tell him. "Psylocke's real name is Elisabeth Braddock, but she's called Betsy.  And Angel is Warren Worthington.  Wolfsbane is Rahne Sinclair, Spyke is Evan Daniels, Storm is his aunt, Ororo Munroe and Nightcrawler is Kurt Wagner."

            He laughed shortly. "I'm not going to remember all of that, you know."

            "Yes you will, and you know it," Aurora shot back, already joking with the brother she had lost eight years earlier.

            Eight minutes later, she and Matt met Warren and Betsy in the living room.  The telepath and the winged mutant gave them a mock-serious tour of the mansion, pointing out every room, but cracking jokes the whole time.  

                                                *******************************************************************

That night, after Matt met the others in the household, he and Aurora sat outside by the pool.  Matt was idly forming the water into swirling patterns and liquid sculptures.  

            After a short silence, Matt looked at Aurora and sighed. "You've certainly done well since I last saw you.  Since Dad kicked me out."

            Aurora laughed ruefully. "He did the same to me.  Broke my wing too."

            Matt flattened his hand, willing the water to settle quietly, then licked his lips, as if pondering what to say. "There's something about Dad that you don't know.  That you still don't know.  It has to do with Mom's death."

            It was the first time Matt had brought up their mother that day and Aurora looked at him sharply, curious but not angry. "What is it?"

            "Mom's death shocked my telepathy into awakening, you could say.  It never really hit me until a year later.  We – the three of us – were at the cemetery, in front of her tombstone.  You were crying.  Dad wasn't.  I don't really know what happened, but an explosion of thoughts just flooded my mind."

            Aurora nodded. "I remember that.  You fell down and I thought you had completely fallen apart."

            "Almost.  I was lucky enough to have a little telepathy beforehand, so it was easier for me to control the thoughts and push them away.  But before I shut my mind, I caught a chain of thoughts from Dad." Matt's eyes lingered on her, softening.

            "Dad found out about Mom and got a little buzzed that night, but purposely crashed the car so that she would die.  She was a mutant, Aurora.  Our mother could change the molecules in her skin to become any solid substance she wanted, from feathers to solid gold.  Dad saw her one day, when she let her control slip a little and lizard scales were forming on her arm.  I saw it in his mind, Aurora," Matt sighed. "He was so repulsed, he was willing to kill the woman who loved him.  And he was willing to throw his children out of his house and heart."

            Aurora had always loved her father.  Now she felt betrayed by the family member she had cared for the most.  He had killed her mother.  It hadn't been the alcohol, it had been the hatred and fear of mutants that drove him to crash the car.  She blinked tears from her eyes and sighed shakily.

            "Thanks for telling me.  I'd rather know the truth than go through my life believing in an illusion," she said softly. "But I thought he loved Mom more than that.  I thought he loved us more than that."

            "I did too," Matt admitted. "He saw me when my telekinesis first appeared.  I panicked and things were flying all over my room.  He heard the noise I guess, and ran in.  He told me to leave immediately.  I was so confused and hurt, I wanted him to leave me alone so I could calm myself and I accidentally sent him flying into the hallway.  Then he lost it.  He walked through the mini-storm in my room and simply picked me up and dumped me on the doorstep with some clothes and fifty bucks.  I made it to Aunt Suzy's – "

            "She took me in too," Aurora broke in.

            Matt smiled. "She's a second mother to us both, then."

            "When did the parasite get you?"

            "Earlier this year.  I had left Aunt Suzy for a place of my own.  I had a job that I wouldn't have gotten without her, so I didn't want to live off of her forever.  The parasite caught me when I was walking home.  He grabbed me, knocked me out with a force bolt and when I came to, he was in my head."  He winced at the memories.

            "But we both have a fresh start now," Aurora said.

            "Yes, we do," Matt agreed.

            Then he hugged her, and with that embrace and the love and warmth that came with it, Aurora finally felt that she was truly home and truly loved.  

THE END

Well, that's the end…I'm thinking about doing another story featuring Aurora and Matt after I finish my Harry Potter one (or maybe while I'm finishing it), but I'm not sure.  Anyone have story ideas???

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this!!


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